A. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the present invention relate to a strainer for fitting in a drain of a sink, and more particularly, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a strainer for fitting in a drain of a sink and for being self-cleaning of residual solid debris sticking to the strainer without a user having to touch the residual solid debris, shake the strainer, or hit the strainer against an object.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for sink strainers have been provided in the prior art, which will be described below in chronological order to show advancement in the art, and which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, nevertheless, they differ from the embodiments of the present invention in that they do not teach a strainer for fitting in a drain of a sink and for being self-cleaning of residual solid debris sticking to the strainer without a user having to touch the residual solid debris, shake the strainer, or hit the strainer against an object.
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 152,571 to Miller.
U.S. Pat. No. 152,571—issued to Miller on Jun. 30, 1874—teaches a sink-trap including a bowl having lugs with pendent pins. The cup is centrally located thereunder. A flaring tube has lugs with pendent pins. The flaring tube has perforated lugs.
(2) U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,126 to Pasman.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,126—issued to Pasman on Feb. 1, 1938 in U.S. class 4 and subclass 291—teaches a strainer for a sink or the like including a cylindrical cup-shaped body having a flat perforated bottom, a corrugated and perforated circumferential wall, and a handle attached to the bottom for removal of the strainer from the sink. The perforations in the circumferential wall are located only in the depressed portions of the corrugations.
(3) U.S. Pat. No. 2,285,833 to Platt.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,285,833—issued to Platt on Jun. 9, 1942 in U.S. class 210 and subclass 170—teaches a strainer for a waste drain fitting, which includes a tapered cup-shaped member smaller at the bottom than at the top and made of foldable paper-like material adapted to absorb and retain perfume or disinfectant. The member is perforated to permit fluid to pass therethrough, but to collect waste solid material. The member has a tab struck up from the body thereof and extends upwardly from its upper open edge to facilitate handling thereof. The strainer is shaped to snugly fit within the upper edge of the waste drain.
(4) U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,715 to Young.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,715—issued to Young on May 21, 1968 in U.S. class 4 and subclass 288—teaches a sink strainer assembly including a flanged strainer body having a plurality of affixed threaded depending studs around the lower neck of the body to which are secured by wing nuts both a flanged retainer cup fitting around the body and a tailpiece retainer plate.
(5) U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,105 to Richards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,105—issued to Richards on Aug. 25, 1970 in U.S. class 4 and subclass 287—teaches a sink strainer including a stem formed of plate spring steel, which has a portion of larger diameter than a slot in the sink base. Contact between this portion of the stem and the edge of the slot provides the raised position. The sink strainer seals with the sink base by forcing the stem through the slot. The stem is tapered inwardly above the portion of larger diameter so that the sideways pressure exerted by the edge of the slot on the tapered portion forces it downwardly to accentuate the sealing position.
(6) U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,425 to Klein et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,425—issued to Klein et al. on May 16, 1972 in U.S. class 15 and subclass 245—teaches a scrap block for use with commercial food service equipment. An upstanding lip extends inwardly along a portion of the upper edge of the block to allow rapid removal of jelled liquids and food particles from dishware. The lower engagement wall has a circular bead detent around its outer surface to insure that the block will not be knocked out of position. The block has an annular skirt covering the receiving hole preventing drippings getting therein.
(7) U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,362 to Jackson.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,362—issued to Jackson on Jan. 3, 1995 in U.S. class 4 and subclass 292—teaches a combined sink strainer and scrub brush unit with or without a sink stopper disc is provided which seats into a garbage disposal inlet depending from a sink bottom. A horizontal strainer base has a series of drain apertures therein and a series of spaced brush elements either molded with the base or attached to the base and depending from the base. A handle is attached to the base for manual removal of the unit from the disposal inlet and for hand-manipulating the unit to scrape/scrub foodstuff and other debris from dish plates, cooking pots, and sink surfaces into the sink and disposal inlet. A rubber stopper disc is mounted on top of base for rotational and sliding movement thereon. Radial drain holes in the disc are alignable with the base drain apertures in a drain “open” position and are offset therefrom in a drain “closed” sealing position.
(8) United States Patent Application Publication Number 2003/0182721 to Li.
United States Patent Application Publication Number 2003/0182721—published to Li on Oct. 2, 2003 in U.S. class 4 and subclass 287—teaches a sink stopper assembly that includes cup and basket strainers. The cup strainer includes a bottom wall having a positioning hole and a shoulder portion forming a seat member. The basket strainer is disposed in the cup strainer and includes a receiving space, a handle extending upwardly from a base wall, a sealing ring to be seated against the seat member, and a retaining stem extending downwardly from the base wall to penetrate the positioning hole. The retaining stem includes a bent metal plate that has two opposite elastic arms, at least one upper protrusion, at least one lower protrusion, and a recess defined between the upper and lower protrusions.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for sink strainers have been provided in the prior art, which are adapted to be used. Furthermore; even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, nevertheless, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the embodiments of the present invention as heretofore described, namely, a strainer for fitting in a drain of a sink and for being self-cleaning of residual solid debris sticking to the strainer without a user having to touch the residual solid debris, shake the strainer, or hit the strainer against an object.